Main Article Content
Fundamental Function of Reprints in Scientific Studies
Abstract
Aim:To study whether librarians request for reprints.
Methods: A 15 years retrospective analysis was carried out as regards reprint requests received by me from all over the world with special reference to those made by librarians.
Results: During 1970-1982, I published 69 scientific papers. These elicited 2,053 requests of which 29 (42%) interested librarians. The Libraries were located in 10 countries, USA leading with 17 requests. Of these American requests, only 9 of the 55 states featured. There was a tendency for a particular library to dominate the picture in the individual country. The importance of the reprint as an instrument for promoting research was illustrated with my paper on melanoma in Igbo patients. Though published in Britain, the work was requested thus; “I would be most grateful if you could let us have 2 copies of this most interesting article for our reference libraries at the Westminster and St George's Hospitals in London”.
Conclusion: Using other parameters, it is clear that librarians themselves do request for reprints. Accordingly, the reprint request (RR) is a tracer tool in scientific studies which should stand the test of time unless displaced by e-mail or any other future invention.
Key Words: Reprint Request, Librarians.
[Jnl College of Medicine Vol.8(2) 2003: 1-3]
Methods: A 15 years retrospective analysis was carried out as regards reprint requests received by me from all over the world with special reference to those made by librarians.
Results: During 1970-1982, I published 69 scientific papers. These elicited 2,053 requests of which 29 (42%) interested librarians. The Libraries were located in 10 countries, USA leading with 17 requests. Of these American requests, only 9 of the 55 states featured. There was a tendency for a particular library to dominate the picture in the individual country. The importance of the reprint as an instrument for promoting research was illustrated with my paper on melanoma in Igbo patients. Though published in Britain, the work was requested thus; “I would be most grateful if you could let us have 2 copies of this most interesting article for our reference libraries at the Westminster and St George's Hospitals in London”.
Conclusion: Using other parameters, it is clear that librarians themselves do request for reprints. Accordingly, the reprint request (RR) is a tracer tool in scientific studies which should stand the test of time unless displaced by e-mail or any other future invention.
Key Words: Reprint Request, Librarians.
[Jnl College of Medicine Vol.8(2) 2003: 1-3]
